The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Grit, determination, desire and a Kool-Aid smile
11.27.2002 | Football
Rod Babers is a courageous warrior. He's ready and willing to take on all challengers and any obstacle that crosses his path.
Whether it's a towering receiver, a difficult exam or any of life's twists and turns, he confronts them with energy, enthusiasm and determination.
However, the Longhorns' senior cornerback had to conquer his greatest fear before he could unleash his gladiator from within.
For much of his youth, Babers was terrified of the dark. Not from fear of the ghosts, ghouls and goblins that terrorize many children but because of an unknown monster that lurked at night and struck him at the most vulnerable of times -- when he slept.
"Rod used to complain about waking up disoriented and having a headache," Babers' mother, Marie, said. "When we found out he was having seizures in his sleep, it made him awfully scared to go to bed at night."
Since the age of 12, Babers recalls feeling lost at times when he awoke. He had no idea what was creating the condition. All he knew was that sleep was the enemy. If he fell asleep, he ran the risk of having a seizure. If he didn't sleep, his challenge was to overcome fatigue.
"I would do anything possible to stay awake," Babers said. "It made things hard at times because I would get so tired after only sleeping a few hours a night, but I just couldn't bare the thought of having a seizure."
By the age of 14, not only had the seizures made every night a struggle, but they also threatened to take away one of the things Babers loved the most, football. From the moment he hit junior high school, that sport became a father and son's passion.
"I remember in the eighth grade telling my dad that I really wanted to start playing some sort of sport," Babers said. "He took me out to the park and threw me balls and said I would make a good receiver. Isn't that a kick? I fell in love with football right away, and then a year later, I was told I might not even be able to play it anymore."
Around that time, doctors determined that the villain disrupting his sleep was epilepsy. Defined as a chronic medical condition produced by temporary changes in the electrical function of the brain, epilepsy causes seizures that affect awareness, movement or sensation. Although it was a serious condition that required attention, the diagnosis provided the young athlete with some relief.
"When they told me what was wrong, I knew I had a tough challenge ahead, but that wasn't going to stop me," Babers said. "I had my family and a lot of great friends supporting me and I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way."
Babers' first obstacle came as he was entering ninth grade and doctors suggested to he and his family that he undergo brain surgery, which would likely reduce the risk of seizures. It also meant a year-and-a-half to two-year break from football, something Babers wasn't willing to do.
Even though his mother could have cared less about football over her son's safety, she was persuaded by her his argument that he wanted to live as normal of a life as possible. That, and clearance from the doctors, let Babers continue his passion on the gridiron.
"I didn't want to be treated differently than anyone else, so there weren't a lot of people that knew I had epilepsy," Babers said. "Only my family and close friends knew and they all knew what to do if I had a seizure and I wanted to take control of the situation myself and not let it affect how I did anything."
Although his father originally envisioned his son starring on the offensive side of the ball, Babers' independent spirit led him to defense. He liked the idea of playing cornerback because it reflected his personality best. Babers was inspired to succeed against the odds and felt the cornerback position offered the biggest challenge on every play.
That determination was what he had called upon in accepting his health issues and overcoming his fear of sleeping. It also was the drive he needed to go from a relative unknown on the high school scene early in his career to a hot commodity among college coaches.
After his junior year of high school, Babers resume wasn't what most people would expect of a starting cornerback in one of best secondaries in the nation, a unit that has ranked among the top 10 in passing defense in each of Babers' three years as a starter.
Now, as the senior leader, he is one of 14 Thorpe Award semifinalists (nation's outstanding defensive back) and ranks fourth on UT's career pass breakups chart (46).
"My junior year in high school, no one even recruited me, not one letter" Babers said. "Then, my first game of my senior year, I intercepted two passes and returned them for touchdowns and everything changed."
Just like that, all of his hard work and persistence was paying off. The phone began ringing and the mail poured in as Babers became a sought after prospect, which was a 180-degree turn from just a year before.
"Rod really made a big jump his senior year," UT head coach Mack Brown said. "Everyone saw Gerome Sapp and considered him the top cornerback in the state. We watched film on Gerome and thought he was a great player, but we were just as excited about Rod. I'm glad it worked out because Rod is a special player who will have a long career in the NFL."
When Babers made his decision to attend Texas, Marie called Brown and thanked him for the opportunity he was providing.
"Texas just felt like home to Rod," Marie said. "The coaches felt like family to him, and obviously, it has worked out well for both sides."
It has especially worked well for Texas. Babers provides the Longhorns with a shutdown corner, but most importantly a team player.
"Rod's impact goes beyond performing on the field," Brown said. "He is also a great teammate. Rod is always a very positive guy with a smile on his face. He's not an up-and-down kid because he does a good job of keeping things in perspective and making the best of every situation."
Babers credits his friendly, uplifting disposition has evolved from a strong family background, good friendships and a love of life.
"I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world," Babers said. "I have a great family and wonderful friends who have supported me through thick and thin. To top it off I've been fortunate to play football at one of the best institutions in America with the greatest group of people you could ever dream of being around."
Teammates, coaches, students and fans alike are drawn to Babers' charisma and charm. His disposition is best illustrated by the never-ending a smile that earned him the nickname "Kool-Aid" as a junior high schooler and remains with him today.
"Rod and I have been very close from the first day we met, but I didn't know anything about the seizures until he had one late in our freshman year." senior QB Chris Simms said. "He is the kind of guy that deals with the hand he's dealt and keeps a positive attitude. He doesn't complain and just always has a smile on his face every single day. It's almost impossible not to find Rod in a good mood and with a huge grin."
Babers' secondary coach Duane Akina says that disposition carries onto the field.
"Rod has the same personality on the field as he does off the field," Akina said. "He's an energetic guy and he brings a lot of enthusiasm to this team. Whenever you need a big play, Rod is the guy you look to. He wants the ball thrown to him and in that sense he is the best leader you could ask for."
The way Babers sees it that's the only way to do things. His father told him as a youngster that he could accomplish anything with a positive attitude. That stuck with him and he's followed that motto with one small exception -- after a Longhorns defeat. That's the only time you will find him somber, but in large part because of him those days have been far and few between during his time in Austin.
